Urban Deer
Affordable Housing and Seniors' Housing
Water Consumption
Vacant and Substandard Properties
Stewardship and Leadership
Kimberley's Economy
Attracting Full-Time Residents
Balancing the Budget
City Hall
Transparency and Engagement
Sun Mine Project
Arts Centre Expansion
Urban Deer
I (like many people, I suspect) have mixed feelings about the deer situation in Kimberley, and particularly about the proposed solution to deer overpopulation here. Given that Kimberley's deer population has been increasing fairly dramatically for years, it's clearly time to address the problem; furthermore, it's imperative that we not only find ways to mitigate the present situation, but we also work diligently and cooperatively to prevent this sort of imbalance from happening again in the future.
The Urban Deer Committee Report recommends the establishment of a permanent Urban Deer Advisory Committee; the creation of an administrative process 'to ensure procedures remain current'; reviewing public education programs; and reviewing previous action annually and determining what future action is required. All of these are, in my view, sound recommendations. I'm not as comfortable with using lethal management actions (a cull), as is also recommended; without even getting sentimental, making animals pay for a problem humans created doesn't jive with my sense of justice and responsibility. What's more, given that a cull treats the symptom, as suggested in the Ministry of Environment's BC Urban Ungulate Conflict Analysis, we must still identify and treat the root cause of the imbalance. In my mind, that means an ongoing effort that treats education and sensible planning at least as seriously as culls.
I'm concerned that preventive measures will not receive adequate thought or attention. The Urban Deer Committee Report does not include a survey of action taken to date (other than to mention the passing of the Deer Feeding Bylaw in 2006) or any analysis of its effectiveness; I would have expected that kind of analysis to be a starting point for further investigation of management options. I find the Urban Deer brochure rather disappointing: it makes no mention of the Deer Feeding Bylaw and offers nothing in the way of practical suggestions for protecting gardens, for example, and minimizing attractants. Since we're willing to invest considerable resources in a cull, I'd like to suggest that a strategic and effective education campaign could be an even smarter investment. We could look at this as an opportunity to use some real ingenuity in promoting individual actions that are harmonious with our valuable natural environment - perhaps developing initiatives that make it easier for homeowners to build effective fences and use deer-repellent landscaping, reducing attractants by implementing a municipal compost program (which would be kind to our local bears, too!), and limiting urban sprawl, to name a few.
Affordable Housing and Seniors' Housing
Affordable housing and housing options for seniors are extremely important issues in Kimberley, particularly given the city's changing demographics and recent focus on fostering a tourism economy. I am very pleased that the Kimberley Affordable Housing Committee continues to be active and to pursue the strategic objectives laid out in the Kimberley Affordable Housing Action Strategy adopted in 2009. In that strategy, supportive housing - including assisted and independent living options for seniors - and non-market and near or below-market rental units are listed as Kimberley's highest priority housing needs. I will watch the progress and projects of that committee with interest.
It is imperative, however, that affordable housing and housing options for seniors are developed with awareness and consideration of Kimberley's transportation infrastructure. Vehicle ownership can be a huge financial burden on low-income families, and many seniors do not have easy access to motorized transportation (which is particularly critical in the winter, when icy sidewalks and staircases make traveling on foot dangerous). Affordable and seniors' housing should be located, as much as possible, within easy reach of grocery stores, schools, major employers, libraries and other gathering spaces, and so on, to minimize the costs and risks associated with transportation.
Water Consumption
Water is a precious resource that will become only more precious as we face the environmental changes and challenges of climate change. Canada is one of the most wasteful consumers of water* in the world. Given that Kimberley's average daily water consumption per capita is extremely high - more than twice the average among BC municipalities, according to the Kimberley Water Study prepared by Wildsight in 2008 - it seems that the community could benefit from a better understanding of how much water is consumed and by whom, and water meters would help provide that information. Water meters could not only raise awareness among residents of individual water consumption, but also provide information useful in identifying infrastructure problems such as leaks. Although installing water meters in existing homes could be costly, requiring meters to be installed in new homes may be a good place to start. Investing in meters may help stave off much greater problems (and expenses) in the future.
In the meantime, individuals interested in finding out more about their consumption can do their own Water Audit. Environment Canada offers a good overview of wise water use.
* The Conference Board of Canada offers an international comparison of water consumption practices and strategies to promote efficiency.
Vacant and Substandard Properties
Vacant and substandard properties exist in the commercial and residential areas of Kimberley, and in order to address them appropriately and effectively, we must understand why they exist. Relevant factors may include land contamination, absentee ownership, development and zoning issues, lack of understanding or enforcement of official standards, poverty, and more.
A comprehensive strategy to improve vacant and substandard properties would therefore need to include ways to ensure that accurate information is easily available regarding risks and responsibilities around contaminated lands, to optimize engagement by and communication with property owners (with the City itself and with prospective tenants, in the case of rental properties, both commercial and residential), to ensure that safe, attractive affordable housing is available for those in need, and so on. The City may wish to identify priority properties for reclamation and development and actively seek appropriate uses for them. Because the root causes are varied, strategies around land use, economic development, employment, attracting full-time residents, and community branding will also affect the presence of vacant and substandard properties in Kimberley.
Stewardship and Leadership
To me, stewardship means making a positive impact through wise, caring, responsible action. The event that finally convinced me to run for council this time around was an impassioned conversation with my best friend, Marla, about how to be positive forces in the world. Marla is a great teacher, and so we talked about where and what she would teach; then she reminded me that I have a unique opportunity in Kimberley to be a positive force through city council. I signed my nomination papers as soon as I hung up the phone.
In my day-to-day life, both professionally and personally, I try to exemplify the qualities I expect of a responsible leader: integrity, compassion, open-mindedness, courage, a collaborative spirit, creativity, resourcefulness, fiscal responsibility, transparency, flexibility, and resilience. I believe that the more people feel valued, included and encouraged to participate in community life and decision-making, the more harmonious our community will be. But let me note that 'harmonious' does not mean 'without dissent or debate'. On the contrary, an harmonious community is one in which differing views are welcomed and treated openly and respectfully. And teamwork is the process of working through those differences together to make our ideas and community stronger.
Kimberley's Economy
Economic development is an issue of concern throughout the community and among residents of all ages. Kimberlites are well aware that the city's future depends to a large degree on expanding and diversifying the local economy and not relying entirely on tourism as an economic driver. It is very important that the City have an innovative economic development strategy, implemented effectively and supported by the community. Three things that the City can do to help such a strategy succeed are:
1. Ensure that working relationships between businesses and the City are positive: that information is accurate, up to date and easy to find; that concerns are addressed promptly and willingly; that processes are clear and efficient; and so on.
2. Ensure that infrastructure and services necessary to business are well maintained, but also keep commercial tax rates competitive.
3. Ensure that local businesses are invited (encouraged, even!) to submit bids on City contracts. It would be great to develop a strong 'shop local' ethic throughout Kimberley, and the City should lead by example as much as possible. There's so much talent, skill and knowledge in Kimberley!
It's also important for the City to maintain a strong, cooperative relationship with the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber can be a great source of information and ideas about the concerns, challenges and opportunities in the business community, can support the flow of information from the City to businesses, and can foster engagement within the business community.
Attracting Full-Time Residents
First of all, I think we need to attract visitors and show them the best we have to offer. I visited Kimberley several times in the years before I moved here, and I fell a little bit more in love with it each time. I knew that I liked the town's unpretentious, relaxed vibe. I'd met friendly people here on my visits and felt like I'd be welcome in the community. I had even sat in with the community band in a summer concert once, so I knew that I'd be able to keep playing and performing with other musicians. When I no longer had to stay in Edmonton to finish my graduate studies, it was easy to decide to come to Kimberley, and as I will only too gladly tell anyone who will listen, it was one of the very best decisions I've ever made.
Second, it's vital that we foster a vibrant, diverse, resilient economy that provides attractive employment opportunities, and that we have adequate support and resources for persons looking for work in Kimberley. Our economic development strategy should include reaching out to potential amenity migrants, entrepreneurs, and other people whose skills, professional ambitions and lifestyle complement what is already available here.
Third, we must continue to expand and improve Kimberley's cultural life, to make sure that there are plenty of fun, high-quality, accessible activities for residents (and visitors) to participate in year-round. That means everything from hiking, biking and ski trails, to fine art, live music and theatre, to great food and shopping, to adult education and library programming, and more. For this to succeed, we need great communication between community organisations, support and cooperation from the business community, and support from the City.
Balancing the Budget
Municipalities are legally required to balance their budgets, and so the challenge that faces city councils is to balance their budgets in such a way that reflects the needs, values, vision, and strategic goals of their communities and that addresses both immediate and long-term concerns. After years of drawing down our surplus, Kimberley will need to be particularly judicious regarding possible expenditures and to find ways to increase revenue for the short and long term. There are always more worthwhile projects to invest in than funds available to invest, and budgeting is inevitably a very difficult process. It is crucial to approach the process with an open mind, to keep both the present and future in view, to research proposed projects, expenditures and revenues adequately (especially making sure that projected figures are accurate), and to prioritize appropriately.
City Hall
Prior to hearing this question, I was not aware that there might be a need for a new city hall. Unless there are major concerns with the safety of the current building, I would not make a new building a priority; even then, I would want also to investigate the possibility of upgrading the existing building or using another vacant space in Kimberley, to find the most sensible and cost-effective solution.
Transparency and Engagement
All around the world, 2011 seems to be a year of increased citizen engagement; people are voicing their opinions, questioning the status quo and looking for ways to reclaim democracy. Here in Kimberley, we need look no further than the huge field of candidates for city council for evidence!
The challenge now is to ensure that the engagement trend continues. Engagement with city council includes transparency - for example, ensuring that decision-making processes are recorded and made accessible, recording council meetings and making the recordings available online (live and archived), perhaps broadcasting council meetings on TV again - but it also needs to include honest efforts to keep citizens informed and to promote participation in democratic processes. City events such as presentations, consultation meetings, alternative vote processes, and so on should be communicated effectively in the interest of maximizing participation. Individual councilors may wish to keep in touch with constituents through avenues such as blogs, social media, newspaper columns or features, or regular informal meeting opportunities, and information on such opportunities should be available through the City website. (I, for one, plan to continue to blog if I am elected, as does my fellow candidate David Chorneyko.) What's more, we should all remember that information must flow in both directions, from council to constituents and vice versa. Council must be willing not only to share information, but to listen to and consider feedback from constituents.
Sun Mine Project
I like the idea of the Sun Mine project, and I'm glad that the City is demonstrating an interest in renewable energy; I would love to see Kimberley become a leader in healthy, Earth-friendly practices and lifestyle. However, I need to do much (much!) more research in order to make a judgment regarding the project as proposed. My fellow candidate Kent Goodwin has asked some excellent questions about the Sun Mine, and I hope that our new council will use equal diligence and critical analysis going forward. For my part, I'm concerned that, although I trust the present council's stated intention of not burdening taxpayers with the cost of this project at the outset, future costs (such as maintenance and upgrades) may exceed expectations. I'm also concerned that this project be done right the first time, without cutting corners. I find it very frustrating when City projects, such as the conference centre, require repairs and upgrades shortly after completion, repairs and upgrades that quite possibly might have been prevented had more forethought been given or more appropriate investment made at the get-go. A project worth doing is worth doing well.
Arts Centre Expansion
As President of the Kimberley Arts Council (KAC), it has been thrilling and humbling to witness the support that this community has expressed for a new arts centre. We are extremely fortunate to have so many committed volunteers, partners, supporters, and donors working together to make the dream a reality, and the purchase of the land adjacent to the existing Centre 64 arts facility (formalized at the end of June 2011) was a major accomplishment, to say the least. Now, the KAC's Building Expansion and Renovation Committee hopes to keep up the momentum, as well as to ensure that in the meantime Centre 64 is made more accessible and will serve the community even better.
The City of Kimberley has been a steadfast and crucial ally throughout the effort so far, and I believe that it should continue to be. A thriving arts scene is absolutely vital to the survival and success of our community as a whole, as it supports Kimberley's sense of identity and its attractiveness to tourists and potential residents. The KAC, for its part, is responding to the outpouring of community support by trying to do its job even better. The KAC’s organizational capacity is steadily increasing thanks to improved director and volunteer recruitment, and over the past two years, the KAC board and active committees have collaborated to create, adopt and begin to implement new policy and guidelines designed to facilitate improved planning, critical self-reflection and responsiveness. Our board comprises a very skilled, forward-thinking group with expertise in art retail, business startup and expansion, government operations and relations, tourism, communications and advertising, accounting, fundraising, and a variety of other interests. Although our recent successes have been rewarded with additional grant funding, we are making concerted efforts to increase our earned revenues as well and to approach Centre 64 as a viable social enterprise. Our annual festival, Arts on the Edge, for example, has been reformatted and has once more been profitable for the past two years; some of the profits will in turn be used to kick-start an exciting new plein air painting event in summer 2012.
I have learned through my interactions with other Kootenay arts councils that Kimberley's existing arts facility, Centre 64, is the envy of the region, and that the work the KAC is doing is well regarded. However, we can do even better. Current KAC directors are taking an active role in assessing the potential and usage of the existing facility, identifying underused spaces and brainstorming ways to occupy them, as well as helping to streamline the operational and administrative budgets. With the possibility of a new arts centre on the horizon, we are striving to outgrow Centre 64, to use it to its very fullest capacity so that when a new arts centre is a reality, we will already have the programming, management capacity and audience necessary to ensure its success.
